


the nick of time

by antspaul



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), F/M, Forbidden Love, Hunter!Artemis Crock, Kinda, Son of Hermes Wally West, Uninformed descriptions of archery, Wally being a dumbass, What's new, lowercase title because i'm uncreative, mentions of Kaldur and Conner if you squint, which is a tag i use more a lot more than i should
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 13:18:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17142467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antspaul/pseuds/antspaul
Summary: “You do realize that I’ve sworn off men for all eternity, right? So your flirtations are especially futile.”“What can I say? I’m an equal-opportunity flirter."//Artemis, daughter of Apollo, is a Hunter. Wally, son of Hermes, can't take a hint. And then there's the new demigod in camp, Lian, who looks a lot like Artemis' dead sister Jade.aka the Percy Jackson au no one asked for.





	the nick of time

**Author's Note:**

> lmao why did i write this? no one asked for it. but suddenly, last april, this fic someone weaseled its way into my head and i wrote it so oops. it was actually finished sometime last july, but i just forgot about it until now. with young justice coming back in a matter of days i figured now might be an ok time to post this!! it's unbeta'd and i've only read it over once or twice so please excuse any errors. hope y'all enjoy it :)

It was the second night in a row that Artemis had slept on a soft, stable mattress and she was growing tired of it. In the early hours of the morning, hours before Apollo would grace the sky with his chariot of fire, she had woken up and found herself unable to go back to sleep. So she laid on her bed staring at the ceiling until she eventually decided that sleep, at least there, was futile. 

Careful not to wake her sisters up, Artemis gently slipped on her boots and grabbed her bag. She gently opened and closed the heavy cabin door and breathed deeply, more comfortable under the endless expanse of stars than under the claustrophobic roof of the cement cabin. In a clear expanse, a single picnic table sat with an unbroken view of the sky. She climbed onto the top and laid down, instantly relaxing because more familiar to her was a hard surface under her back, her skin damp with the pale humidity of the summer night. 

For a while she just stared at the stars, counting the constellations and thinking of the last time she had spent longer than a night at Camp Half-Blood. Before long, she started to nod off. 

“I really hope it starts to rain.” 

The voice startled Artemis awake. She sat up quickly, and when she saw who spoke, her lips tilted downward into a scowl. “It only rains when Mr. D and Bruce want it to, Wally West.”

Wally smiled. “Good to see you, too, babe.”

She sniffed. “I see you made it out alive.”

“I did, thanks to you,” he said, crossing his arms. “And I have the souvenir to prove it.” He made a motion like he was shooting an arrow.

Artemis rolled her eyes. “You kept the arrow?”

“Absolutely. How else would I prove to everyone that I charmed a Hunter into saving my life?”

“I would hardly use the word ‘charmed’. The Hunt had been tracking that boar for two weeks. You just happened to make it angry right as we were closing in.”

He actually winked at her then, which elicited a scoff from Artemis. “Sure, sugar. If that’s what you have to tell your Lady.”

“You do realize that I’ve sworn off men for all eternity, right? So your flirtations are  _ especially _ futile.”

He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m an equal-opportunity flirter. Maybe you’d leave the Hunt, if I was charming enough.”

“But you aren’t,” she said. “And what are you doing out here this early, anyway?”

He climbed onto the table and sat down beside her. “Couldn’t sleep. You know how dreams are.”

Despite her frustrations, she had to nod. Every demigod did. Dreams, for the children of the gods, were never just dreams. They always meant more; if they weren’t warnings for the future, they were nightmares of past monsters and friends lost. 

“Got worse after my quest, and the war.”

She nodded. “Sorry.” 

He shrugged again. “Who cares? I’m not special. Why are you out here?”

Artemis considered giving him a sarcastic reply but couldn’t think of one this late at night (or this early in the morning), so just went with the truth: “I miss the fresh air, I guess. It’s weird sleeping in a cabin when I’ve slept on the ground for nineteen years.”

Wally made a face. “You’ve been a Hunter for  _ nineteen years?!”  _ he asked her incredulously. “That makes you what, thirty-six? Thirty-seven?”

“Thirty-five,” she replied, defensive. “Not that it matters. When my Lady bestows immortality on her Hunters, they remain that age. I will be sixteen forever.”

He shuddered. “Sounds like Hades. Aren’t you afraid of watching everyone you love die?”

Artemis bristled. “ _ Everyone I love _ is in the Hunt.”

He scoffed, and she turned to him, enraged. 

“I’m sorry, did I ask for your opinion?” she said in a hushed yell. “I made my choice nineteen years ago, and I don’t regret it. There’s more to life than  _ flirting  _ and  _ getting laid _ .” She lowered her voice in a crass imitation of him.

“Don’t you have any family?” he asked.

“The Hunt is my family,” she said, predictably. Memories of another family, one that disappeared years ago, flashed through her mind. 

“Right,” he said and balanced his head on his palm. She didn’t respond, just looked up at the stars and tried to find Tula’s constellation. “Hey,” he said after a moment of silence. “Did you hear there’s a legacy arriving at camp tomorrow? Fifteen years old.”

This captured Artemis’ attention. “Really? A legacy? How do you know?”

“Dick told me, and he found out from Bruce.”

“Something tells me our camp director didn’t volunteer that information,” Artemis said.

Wally shrugged, non-committing. “Hey, but you didn’t hear it from me.”

Artemis snorted. “A legacy,” she repeated. “I know it can happen in  _ theory _ , but—”

“To see it in person. Yeah, I get it. Apparently demigods do live to middle age without becoming a Hunter,” he quipped, and she elbowed him. It had been exactly what she was thinking, but she wouldn’t let him know that. 

“I  _ told _ you, I’m not middle aged. I’m sixteen.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Sure, Grandma.”

She elbowed him again, but she was smiling. By that time, the stars had faded from the sky at the slightest touch of dawn on the horizon. 

Wally yawned. “It’s getting late. I’d better try to go to sleep before tomorrow.”

Artemis sighed. “Me too, I guess.” She hopped off the bench, feeling a twinge of disappointment, and brushed herself off. “Perhaps my lady will come back tomorrow.”

“Why do you talk like that?” he asked, climbing off the table behind her. 

“Like what?”

“When you’re having a normal conversation, you talk normal. When you talk about the Hunt, you start talking like you’re three hundred years old.”

“No, I don’t,” she said, defensive. 

“You do,” he insisted. “Never mind. Good night, Artemis. Or morning. Whatever.”

He threw a goofy grin her direction and sauntered off back to the Hermes cabin. 

She walked back to the Artemis cabin, where her and her sisters had taken up residence while waiting for Lady Artemis to return, but she didn’t go in just yet. Instead she watched his red hair disappear into the cabin door, thinking about how he called her by her full name and her lady would disapprove of how he made her smile. 

~

She woke up two hours after having gone to sleep, not feeling totally rested but then again, when since she joined the Hunt had she? About half of her sisters had already risen from bed, and the other half was rousing from sleep. Someone had made coffee, and was passing it around as girls dressed, pulling on hiking boots or loading quivers with arrows. 

Artemis sat up and asked her friend and fellow Hunter Raquel, “What’s going on?”

Raquel fixed her with a funny look. “Don’t you remember, Art? Diana said it yesterday that she wanted to run some practice drills this morning in the woods.”

“Oh. Right.”

Diana, the Lieutenant, was on the other side of the cabin, ready to go. She helped a younger Hunter, a ten-year-old named Cassandra- Cassie for short- who had joined only a few months before, pack her bag, the silver circlet adorning her black hair shining in the morning sun. 

Artemis did not doubt that Diana had told them all about it yesterday, but she’d had a difficult time concentrating while still adjusting to being back at Camp Half-Blood, a place she thought she’d never see again. Sleep still clouded her mind like fog.

They left shortly after that. The practice drills took up most of the day, the Hunters arriving back at camp, exhausted and hungry, a little before dinner. They took turns showering and unpacking their things, and soon, it was time for dinner. 

Dinner smelled amazing, as usual. The Hunter sat down at Table Eight, loading their plates with warm comfort food. Goblets appeared in front of each Hunter that Artemis remembered served whatever the drinker willed. Artemis willed her goblet to fill up with water, and one she’d gulped that down, Dr. Pepper. Her sister, Jade, had always drank Dr. Pepper when she was younger. The drink was a self—indulgent reminder of Artemis’ childhood, one she kept to herself. 

Gradually, her sisters started to fill their plates up with delicious-looking food and line up at the fire pit to make burnt offerings to Lady Artemis. Artemis followed suit, cutting off the richest piece of steak and throwing it into the fire for her Lady, then sliding some green beans and a piece of bread for her father Apollo. 

As she sat back down at Table Eight, a hush fell over the other campers. Artemis turned her head to see why, and noticed a short redheaded girl reluctantly walking into the dining pavilion. 

Artemis leaned over Raquel, whispering, “That must be the legacy.”

“What do you mean, legacy?” Raquel asked.

Raquel was a regular mortal before she had joined the Hunters three years ago. 

“It means she’s descended from one or more demigods. Which also means that one or more demigods lived to adulthood to have her.”

Comprehension dawned on Raquel’s face. “Which doesn’t happen a lot.”

Artemis nodded. “Right.” She paused, sizing up the girl, who looked uncomfortable being the center of attention. “She’s probably about fourteen or fifteen. Think she’ll want to join the Hunt?”

“If she’s smart, she will,” Raquel said.

Artemis snorted. Two of their sisters were arm-wrestling at the head of the table next to Diana. Artemis and Raquel watched them, laughing, throwing their conversation to the side. 

Halfway through dinner, Bruce stood up, clearing his throat. Instantly the entire pavilion silenced, waiting for what he had to say. 

“Campers, Hunters,” he nodded in their direction, “We welcomed a new camper today. Please give her warm welcome. Lian Harper, legacy of Apollo and Hermes.”

The nervous redhead stood up, and everyone clapped for her, particularly the Apollo and Hermes cabins. Artemis wondered if she had known Lian’s parents, back in her few years at Camp Half-Blood. The name Harper did sound kind of familiar. She’d have to ask. 

Lian sat back down, and everyone went back to their meal. Two different Hunters started to arm wrestle. 

After dinner, Campers and Hunters alike gathered around the large fire pit for the nightly bonfire. The singalong and bonfire had been her favorite part of camp before her mother died and she joined the Hunt. Her sister, Jade, also a daughter of Apollo, would lead the songs, playing simple chords on her guitar. Another child of Apollo was leading it tonight, and Artemis almost left. But most of her sisters, including Diana and Raquel, were already making s’mores. 

Artemis sat on an unoccupied log bench and hummed along to the silly campfire songs that hadn’t changed a lot in the nineteen years since she had sung them. 

“This seat taken?”

Artemis looked up. It was Wally, his mouth full of s’more, and his hands holding two more. 

“I guess I can’t technically say no,” she said. 

He smiled at her. “No, you cannot,” he said, his mouth still full. He took a seat and finally swallowed. Holding a hand out to her, he asked, “Want a s’more?”

The chocolate and marshmallow had melted out and covered his hands. She wrinkled her nose. “No, thanks. I’m good.”

He shrugged as he shoved it in his mouth. “Suit yourself.”

She laughed incredulously. “I don’t understand how you eat so much.”

He chewed and swallowed, then spoke. “My dad gifted me with speed, so I need like 10,000 calories every day to keep up with my metabolism.”

Artemis snorted. “That… doesn’t seem humanly possible.”

“But we’re not human, are we, grandma?”

The Apollo kids started to sing “I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather” and Wally perked up, singing along. His voice was exaggerated and pitchy, but he clapped along and howled with laughter, along with everyone else, when it got to the ridiculous, loud and fast part. The fire grew and burned gold with the rising spirits of Campers and Hunters combined. Artemis saw an Apollo kid teaching the words of the song to Lian, who threw her head back in laughter as she fumbled over the words.

Artemis smiled at that. Wally noticed and nudged her. “What’s the look for?”

She shrugged and pointed out Lian and her brother. “It just reminded me of when I first came to camp, and the other Apollo kids taught me the songs.”

“You’re an Apollo kid?”

Artemis nodded, clapping along to “When Odysseus Comes Marching Home Again”. 

“Bet your dad was thrilled when you became a Hunter.”

Her brother from the Apollo cabin, Billy, messed up a chord, which threw the singing off. Everyone laughed. 

She shrugged. “If my father ever would have spoken to me about it, I like to think he would have respected my decision.” 

Wally snorted. “Your dad is so full of himself that it’s surprise any of his kids get claimed.”

Raising an eyebrow, Artemis countered, “Isn’t that all of the gods, though? We get claimed because they need us. Anyway,” she swallowed and gazed back into the campfire, “My father didn’t claim me. He claimed my sister. I just knew that we had the same father.”

The image of a golden lyre appearing over Jade’s head one night, twenty years ago, would forever be ingrained in Artemis’ memory. The sick stab of jealousy that Jade was claimed and she wasn’t. 

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” Wally said. “Does she look anything like you? Because I  _ definitely _ would’ve noticed someone as gorgeous as you walking around camp.” 

He winked at her. She frowned. 

“She’s dead,” Artemis said. “Has been for twenty years.”

“Oh, Styx. Sorry. I should have guessed.”

She punched him lightly in the arm. “You’re lucky my Lady didn’t smite you on the spot for talking to me like that.”

He gave her a small smile, which she felt herself unwittingly return. 

“I know, grandma.”

They were mostly silent after that, humming and clapping along to the campfire songs until it got late and there were few campers and Hunter left around the firepit, but Artemis didn’t want to move. Gradually, she had leaned against Wally’s arm for support, him leaning back against her as night dawned. Just as her eyes closed Artemis felt a harsh poke in the small of her back. 

“Girl, get up,” Raquel hissed. “It’s getting late and you’re going to make Lieutenant Diana suspicious.”

Artemis drowsily stood up and followed Raquel back to their quarters. Cabin Eight’s silver exterior glistened in the moonlight. 

“It wasn’t anything,” Artemis grumbled. 

“I know that,” Raquel said. “Do you think Diana cares?”

“Good point,” Artemis said. 

They reached their bunks. She sloppily threw her shoes off and changed out of her jeans into the sole pair of sweatpants she owned. She climbed up into bed, but the second her head hit the pillow, her eyes popped open and Artemis found herself wide awake and all too aware of the feeling that was growing in her chest, the feeling that she missed the feeling of soft red hair on her arm and a deep breath next to her chest.

~

The Hunters had the next day to themselves, as their Lieutenant Diana had left camp early that morning for official Olympus business. Diana was one of the rare immortals to join Lady Artemis’s Hunt, which meant that she had godly duties to attend to that the average demigod or mortal did not. 

Artemis and Raquel decided to spend the morning at the archery range. Raquel wanted to improve her skills, and Artemis was glad to spend a relaxing day in her comfort zone. 

After showing Raquel a few pointers, they fell into a quiet routine, with Artemis stopping Raquel every so often to correct her grip or form. About halfway to lunchtime, the Apollo and half of the Hermes cabins arrived at the range for their daily archery lessons. Artemis recognized a few of them: Lian, Wally, Wally’s friend Dick (who was an Athena kid, if she remembered correctly—but Bruce raised him, so he pretty much did what he wanted), and Kaldur, the sole son of Poseidon. 

Wally and Dick waved at Artemis, who rolled her eyes warm-heartedly, and Kaldur threw her a nod. The last time she had seen the three of them before the Hunt came to camp had been during the war, when Lady Artemis and her Hunters had assisted them on a quest. Artemis herself fired an arrow that ended up saving Wally’s life, an act he made sure she never forgot. 

Artemis returned her attention to the range, making sure not to glance back at the demigods too often. 

At the end of the line of Apollo kids firing arrows in perfect form, Lian stood with her hand on her bow. She released the bowstring and the arrow weakly fell a few feet in front of her. Lian’s face fell, making Artemis chuckle and think that if she got a chance before the Hunters left camp, she would give Lian a few pointers. But for now, Raquel required her attention. 

After firing a few more arrows, Artemis took a break to hydrate and rest her arms. Taking a generous swig of water, she sat on a log bench. A second later, Dick the Athena kid sat down next to her, as he had to wait his turn to shoot. 

Still drinking water, Artemis turned her head and nodded to acknowledge him. 

“Hey, Arty,” Dick said. He sounded suspicious, like he had something under his sleeve. But then again, Dick always did. He often acted more like a Hermes kid than an Athena kid. “Long time, no talk. Though I hear you’ve talked to Wally plenty.”

Artemis narrowed her eyes at him. Dick smiled menacingly. 

“More like Wally’s talked to  _ me _ ,” she said. She dug in her bag, pulling out a green cloth, and started to polish her bow. 

Cheering erupted among the campers as Kaldur shot an arrow and landed in the inner circle of the target, which was probably the closest he’d ever got to a bullseye. Kaldur rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little embarrassed to be the center of attention. 

Artemis and Dick observed this quietly. She asked him, “How’s he doing since everything?”

Dick shrugged. “I don’t know. The best he can, I guess. We’re all just trying to get by, you know?”

Last summer, a prophesied war between the gods and the Titans forced their children into a series of bloody battles that resulted in many deaths and injuries. A dangerous prophecy about Kaldur made him a target, which meant much of the fighting centered around him. He’d seen and been the cause of many deaths, an enormous load to bear. 

All demigods lost people in the war. Artemis herself saw many of her sisters perish in battle.

Things were better now. More peaceful. But they all still lived with the memories of last summer. 

“I know,” Artemis replied softly. 

“Watcha talking about?” Wally said, jogging over to join them, his own water canteen in hand. 

“Last summer,” Dick said, scooting over on the bench. “Wanna take a seat?”

Wally shook his head, sitting in the grass in front of them, legs crossed. He made a face. “Last summer? What a drag. Let’s talk about something better. Have you seen how good Artemis’ arms look when she’s firing?” 

Dick rolled his eyes and Artemis kicked Wally in the shin, her face warming. 

“Hey Arty, a little help?” Raquel called out to her as she looked helplessly down at the bow in her hand.

Artemis nodded and took one last sip of water before standing up. “Sorry, coming,” she said, giving a half-hearted wave to the boys. “Catch you guys later.”

She jogged over to Raquel, who strung an arrow into the bow and lifted it. Raquel fired the shot; the arrow landed in the outer ring of the bullseye. 

“That’s better,” Artemis said. “Make sure you watch your follow through, though.”

“I know that,” Raquel said. “I was rescuing you from those boys.”

Artemis rolled her eyes and lifted her own bow to practice shots. “Don’t act like you don’t know their names.”

“It shouldn’t matter if we know their names or not. They’re men. We shouldn’t care who they are,” Raquel shot back. 

Artemis huffed and sagged her shoulders in protest. “Come on, Rocket, there’s nothing wrong with being a little friendly with the guys. It’s not like we’re going to get married or whatever just because I said hi to him during a water break.”

Raquel raised an eyebrow. 

“It’s true!” Artemis insisted. “How many times have we helped demigods over the years?” She threaded the arrow into the bow and tested the resistance of the bowstring. It felt good, so she released the string, keeping her eye on the arrow as it propelled forward. It hit the bullseye almost exactly. A good shot, of course- but not her best. 

“Helping heroes on a quest is different,” Raquel said. “Look girl, I’m not saying you love him or are falling in love with him or anything. I’m just saying you gotta be more careful with your feelings.”

“You’re one to talk,” Artemis shot back harshly. 

Raquel’s face darkened with hurt and she turned around. Artemis immediately softened and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. 

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Artemis said. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Before she joined the Hunt, Raquel had been in love with a son of Hermes named Noble who had introduced her to the world of the gods. When he sided with the Titans in the war, the heartbroken Raquel joined the Hunt, swearing off men. She was seventeen at the time, only a year older than Artemis’ immortal form. 

Most of the other Hunters were twelve, thirteen when they joined the Hunt. Artemis and Raquel were two of the oldest when they joined, so they became close. 

Raquel pushed Artemis’s hand off her shoulder and raised her bow to attempt another shot. “Forget it. Just trying to help you.”

Artemis sighed. Down the line of archers, Wally cut his finger on the tip of an arrow and yelped comically. 

“Let’s get out of here,” she said. “We still have an hour before lunch. Wanna go check out the library in the Athena cabin?”

Raquel put the bow down and her features softened. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go.”

They packed their things up quickly and left the archery range. Artemis tried not to notice how Wally’s eyes seemed to follow her as she went. 

~~

The impromptu game of Capture the Flag had been the Hermes cabin’s idea, of course. When Bruce caught wind of it (ten minutes into the game), he’d tried to stop it with little success. He’d resigned to his usual role as medic and mediator. 

Usually, it was Hunters versus Campers, but since Campers who wanted to play greatly outnumbered the Hunters, the game was split evenly down the middle, with Hunters and Campers on both sides. Artemis was on a team with the Ares, Athena, Poseidon, and Aphrodite cabins, along with a few of her Hunter sisters. The other team- the blue team- was made up of everyone else, which made their numbers about equal. 

Artemis, along with a few Aphrodite campers, were on the defensive, watching with a careful eye for any invading members of the blue team. Being a Hunter meant that Artemis had extra sharp senses, so she picked up on the sounds of a quietly approaching intruder. She motioned for her teammates to hide (there was nothing like increased enemy presence to indicate that they were getting close to flag) and readied a fog arrow on her bow. 

It was Wally and Lian. Artemis guessed the two were selected because Wally could be fast (a gift from his father Hermes) and Lian was small and also quick (traits she probably inherited from her godly grandparents). Wally was explaining to her in hushed tones the strategy, though what exactly he was saying Artemis couldn’t tell. Lian nodded enthusiastically as Wally surveyed the woods around them.

Artemis looked at the two Aphrodite campers she was stationed with- M’Gann and Bette- and nodded. They nodded back and Artemis let the arrow fly. It landed right where she wanted it to: in front of Wally and Lian, exploding with a cloud of smoke. She heard Lian cough and Wally curse as M’Gann and Bette grabbed them by the arms and told them that they were going to jail. 

“Not jail!” Wally wailed as he was dragged out smoke. “I’m too young!” 

Artemis emerged from her hiding place to help her teammates. Wally made eye contact with her. 

“Artemis! Thank the gods. Tell my mother I love her!”

Artemis rolled her eyes. She knew what he was doing: making lots of noise so that his fellow blue teammates would know where he was, and to not go there. “Shut up and take it like a man, Baywatch.”

When she’d met him for the first time years ago, he’d had a large streak of sunscreen on his nose. Since his father was Hermes, not Apollo, he was not blessed with sun-proof skin, especially on quests where he had to be outside almost constantly. 

At least that was what he’d claimed when she called him out on it. She secretly wondered if he’d done it to cheer up and distract Dick and Kaldur from the impending doom of their quest. 

Much like he was doing now, Artemis observed. Lian looked downright mortified to have been caught, but Wally’s antics had made her smile a little bit. 

Artemis watched as M’Gann and Bette escorted Wally and Lian out of sight and towards the jail. A moment after she could no longer see them, she heard loud cheering from the stream that divided the woods. She hurried to the border to see what the commotion was about and was delighted to see Dick, splashing across the shallow creek with the blue banner in his hands, waving it proudly. Zatanna, daughter of Hecate, and Karen, daughter of Demeter, followed close behind him, trying to catch him before he made it across the creek. 

“Go, Dick!” Artemis yelled in support. 

Dick grinned wildly as he landed on dry land with one enormous jump. His fellow red teammates (including Artemis) clamored around him excitedly, lifting him and the banner onto the shoulders of the crowd. Bruce emerged from the red side of the woods, supporting a younger kid who looked like he’d twisted his ankle. 

He blew loudly on the whistle that hung around his neck and the whole camp quieted. The group lowered Dick and the banner to the ground. Bruce paused for a moment, then waved a hand towards Artemis and her teammates. “Victory to red,” he said. 

The red team erupted into cheers once again, chanting “Red! Red! Red! Red!”

Bruce blew his whistle once again. “Since this game was informal and not arranged by camp management,” he threw a dirty look towards Dick, who shrugged and smiled impishly, “The regular prize for the victors does not stand.” He clapped his hands together. “I’ll remind everyone to remove weapons and stations from the game prior to the campfire in an hour.”

The red team groaned, and the blue team looked smug, but everyone’s spirits were still high. Gradually, campers and Hunters alike started to clean up the materials used for Capture the Flag. Artemis herself returned to the scene of Wally’s capture to retrieve her arrows. 

It took her a second to find them. Artemis’ arrows were dark green and blended in with the grass and fallen leaves on the ground, though she had wrapped a band of yellow tape around the shaft so that in situations like this she could pick them up easily. Still, after five minutes of searching she had only retrieved three of the four she’d used. Artemis stood back up, placing a hand on top of her head. 

“Looking for this?”

Artemis spun around to see Wally holding the very arrow she was looking for in her in his hand. She grabbed for it, but he whipped the arrow out of reach. He grinned, then went ahead and gave it back to her. 

“Thanks,” she said. 

“Good game,” he said, offering a hand to her. She shook it in the name of good sportsmanship, shaking her head with a wry smile forming on her lips without her permission. 

“It was,” she agreed. She quickly polished the arrow and placed it back in her sheath. 

“Especially when you shot that smoke bomb arrow. Very, very clever, Artemis.”

Artemis shrugged. The started to walk back towards “It was really nice how you acted with Lian. When she was scared, you made her feel better.”

He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. “I think we all remember how scary your first week at camp can be. Just trying to make her feel like she belongs here.”

Artemis smiled at that. “You know, you’re not as dumb as you look.”

“I’m hurt by that, Artemis, truly,” he put a hand to his chest in a way that indicated he was anything but. “Your words are knives that stab me in the heart.”

Artemis rolled her eyes for good measure and ignored the way her own heart felt. “Forget I said anything. I take it back.”

~~

The flames of the campfire that night burned a bright and radiant gold. Although half the camp lost Capture the Flag, the game had put everyone in a good mood. Artemis even took a s’more from Wally when he offered it to her. Raquel shook her head in disapproval but didn’t press it. 

Artemis had a fleeting thought that she’d miss this, once her Lady returned from Olympus. 

Halfway through the Armor Song, Artemis felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to see her sister Cassie. 

“Hey, Cassie,” Artemis said. 

“The Lieutenant wants to see you.”

Artemis raised an eyebrow at that. She nudged Raquel and told her she’d be back in a bit. Raquel nodded, and Artemis followed Cassie towards Cabin Eight. 

“Lieutenant Diana’s back?” Artemis asked. Why would Diana request a meeting with her and no one else?

“She just got back an hour ago,” Cassie said. “The Lieutenant is waiting inside.”

“Thanks, Cassie.”

Cassie nodded, her lips pressed tightly together like she knew what Diana wanted. “Good luck.”

Artemis nodded and entered the cabin reluctantly. “Lieutenant?” she called out.

“Back here,” Diana replied. Her voice came from the second room of bunks, where Artemis and Raquel slept. 

Artemis approached her Lieutenant carefully. Diana sat on Artemis’ bed, polishing her dagger with attention to detail. 

“You sent for me?”

Diana patted the space next to her. “Come, sit,” she ordered. 

Artemis obeyed. 

Diana continued to polish her dagger, rubbing extra hard on a spot towards the hilt. “How was Capture the Flag today?”

“It was… good,” Artemis said, her brow furrowing. “My team won.”

“I heard they split the Hunters between the two teams.”

“Yeah, well, that’s just how it worked out with numbers and everything.” Artemis shook her head. “Why- why are we talking about this?”

Diana fixed her with a brief cold stare before going back to her blade. “Men don’t see the value in sisterhood. They want to split us up, make us weak. Because they know that when we are together, we are strong. We don’t need them.”

She finished polishing her dagger. Diana lifted it to the moonlight and it reflected brilliantly in the dark room. 

Artemis swallowed. “You’re warning me about Wally. That’s why you called me here.”

Diana sheathed her blade. “Yes. Then you know what is happening.”

“Last I checked, it doesn’t matter how I feel about someone. It matters what I do,” Artemis shot back. 

It felt strange to admit to something like that in front of Diana, when she’d barely admitted it to herself. But she refused to take back her words, sitting straight and tall and poised. 

“You’re right,” Diana said. “And that is why I haven’t said anything until now. Ever since last year, you’ve felt connected to him. You’ve allowed yourself to imagine a life outside the Hunt.” 

Artemis opened her mouth to protest, but Diana continued, “Don’t try to deny it. I know it’s true and so do you.” 

Artemis frowned and lifted her chin, trying to push past the way her eyes stung. “The Hunt is my family. I have no one else. He means nothing to me, I promise.”

The lies felt bitter on her tongue, like she could feel Jade’s disapproval from the Underworld.

Diana didn’t look convinced. “If you start to believe that, Artemis Crock, you may be safe. But watch yourself. Watch your feelings.” She sighed and placed a hand on Artemis’ shoulder. She looked scared. “I can’t make your decision for you. But you mean as much to the Hunt as the Hunt means to you. Remember that. And remember why you joined us.” 

Why she joined the Hunt. 

Numbly, Artemis left. She grabbed a spare sleeping bag on her way out and slept under the stars that night, dreaming about her sister Jade and Lawrence Crock and Paula Nguyen and all of the other people in her life that she once considered family but didn’t anymore, and wondered if she would soon have to add many, many more names to that list.

~

Whenever Artemis felt particularly stressed or angry, she channeled her frustrations the only way she knew how: archery. That’s where she headed at dawn, when the first glimpse of her father’s sun chariot lit the sky. 

Something about the early blue air and quiet centered Artemis. She could finally think clearly with no one else around and no distractions except for the distant roar of monsters somewhere deep in the woods. Since she was the only one at the range, Artemis utilized all the targets, practicing her combat forms while also attempting targets from a more extreme angle than the usual forward shot. These positions were more about speed and reaction time than power, though power was important. 

To run a harder movement Diana had shown her a few weeks back, Artemis retreated a few yards down the hill facing the entrance of the range. She crouched down low, a firm hand on her bow and the other ready to grab an arrow, then leaped forward into a run, accelerating as fast as she could. Running was never her strong suit, but it had greatly improved since she joined the Hunt. 

Within a few seconds, she reached the target range. Keeping her speed up, she grabbed an arrow and threading it into her bow before diving down to roll close to the ground. As soon as her head was level again, still in her crouched position, she released the arrow, intending to hit the furthest away target, and was successful- mostly. The arrow hit the inner circle but landed less centered than Artemis’ best. She lifted herself up off the ground and dusted her back and shoulders, picking a few leaves and twigs out of her hair, preparing to run the move again. 

“That was amazing!” 

She jumped and spun around to see Lian standing at the edge of the range with a camp-issued practice bow in her hands. 

Artemis placed a hand to her chest. “Styx! You scared me.”

Lian shrugged. “Sorry. I didn’t think anyone would be here this early.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Artemis said. “Getting in some practice?”

Lian looked down at the bow and nodded. “Yeah. I’m pretty bad, but I thought that if I tried when no one was watching, it would help.”

Artemis retrieved the arrow she fired during the drill from the target. “You only started a few days ago. It’s alright if you’re not perfect yet.”

“I thought it was going to be easier than this. You know, my mom’s dad is Apollo, and my dad’s is Hermes but he was always really good at archery anyway.”

Artemis laughed. “Did they ever teach you anything?”

Lian huffed and got into position to shoot. “They tried.” She fired the arrow, and it landed in the trees. “It didn’t work.”

Artemis approached her. “I can show you a few pointers.” She ditched her own bow on a bench. “Here, but your hands into position.”

Lian did. Artemis adjusted her arms and relaxed her shoulders. “Don’t grip the bow so tight. The pressure torques the wood and messes up your angle. There. Try again.”

She shot another arrow. It didn’t hit the target, but its path was much more controlled. 

“Better, right?” 

Lian nodded, smiling at Artemis. 

“Do it again, but this time don’t move your bow until the arrow has landed wherever it’s going to land.”

The arrow hit the white space outside of the target’s circles. 

Beaming, Lian exclaimed, “It hit! That’s so awesome!”

Artemis laughed. “You did good. Archery is hard.”

“Could I watch you do it a few times?” Lian asked. 

“Sure.” Artemis fired a couple of shots, getting into position slowly so that Lian could clearly see what she did. “Want to see a few more?”

Lian shook her head. “Think I’ll try one or two shots now.” But when she reached behind her, there were no arrows in her sheath. “Oops.”

They walked to retrieve the arrows from the targets and surrounding trees. While Artemis tugged on one that was particularly embedded in the wood, Lian searched the trees and bushes for an elusive arrow. 

“Don’t feel bad that archery is taking some time, just because you’re a legacy of Apollo,” Artemis said. “We inherit different gifts from our godly parents. If you didn’t get archery, you probably got something else like music, or healing, or poetry.” She made a face. “Not that my father is particularly good at poetry. Don’t tell him I said that.”

Lian giggled. “I won’t,” she promised. “Wait, your dad is Apollo? That makes you, like, my  _ aunt _ .”

Artemis shook her head. “I’m not old enough to be anyone’s aunt,” she said.

“How old  _ are  _ you?”

“Chronologically, thirty-five,” Artemis answered. At Lian’s surprised look, she continued, “But that doesn’t matter. I’m sixteen now. I’ll be sixteen forever.”

“Wow.” Then she disappeared behind the target, coming back up after a moment with an arrow in her hand. “Aha! Found it!”

With all the arrows recovered, they retreated to the front of the range. 

“Wanna try again?” Artemis asked. 

Artemis and Lian continued like that for a while, until the sun had fully risen and the range was tinted gold with light and heat. 

“It’s almost time for breakfast. We should probably go,” Artemis said. Lian nodded, and together they packed up the archery equipment. 

As the two walked to the dining pavilion, Lian said, “Thanks for the help, Artemis.”

Artemis smiled. “Everyone calls me Arty.”

“Oh. Sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have assumed that what Wally calls you is what you actually want to be called. Anyway, thanks, Arty.”

Artemis felt her face heat up. So Wally had talked about her to Lian. “You’re welcome. It was fun.”

Lian took a swig of water. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Why is being a legacy such a big deal?”

The question struck Artemis. “No one’s explained it to you yet? Not even Wally?”

“I haven’t really asked anyone yet. Until now,” Lian said quietly. 

“Oh.” Artemis thought for a second, trying to pin down the right words to explain it to Lian without scaring her. “It’s just… rare to see a demigod live long enough to have kids, much less  _ two _ demigods. Especially after last summer.”

“There was a war last summer, right?” Lian asked. 

Artemis nodded, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat. “A lot of really strong heroes died. Everyone lost someone.” She looked ahead at the pavilion, where a historically low number of demigods were waiting for breakfast to begin. “There was a lot more campers and Hunters, before.”

“That’s horrible.”

“That’s being a demigod.” Artemis remembered her sister saying something similar, the last time they ever spoke. “You have to make sacrifices for the greater good. You have to be a hero, like it or not.”

Lian was quiet for a moment, then said thoughtfully, “I thought the Hunters were immortal.”

“We are, but not in combat.”

“Have you ever thought about leaving?”

“The Hunt is my family. Why would I want to leave?” 

It was something Artemis had repeated hundreds of times through the years to many an inquisitive demigod, a rehearsed and automatic response. The accompanying twinge of guilt was new, though. 

“What about your real family?” 

Artemis pressed her lips into a thin line. Lian immediately noticed her discomfort and said, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

Artemis shook her head. “No, it’s okay. People don’t really ask Hunters questions like that.” 

“Oh. I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” Artemis repeated. “My mom and sister died right before I joined the Hunt. My mom was in an accident and my sister died on a quest.”

They reached the dining pavilion. Lian’s siblings at the Apollo table waved to her and she waved back. 

“I’m really sorry,” Lian told her quietly. 

“Don’t worry about it. If you ask any other demigod here, they’ll probably have a similar story, or worse.” She shrugged. “I have to go join the rest of the Hunters, okay?”

Lian nodded and gave Artemis a small smile. 

Artemis continued, “If you want me to give you more pointers at the range, let me know. It was fun.”

“Definitely,” Lian said, then ran off to the Apollo table. Artemis jogged over to Table Eight. 

“Were you just talking to that legacy?” Cassie asked as Artemis sat down. 

“Yeah. Her name is Lian,” Artemis replied. “And I was thinking that we should ask her to join the Hunt.”

~~

After the campfire sing along, Artemis went to bed exhausted by a long 24 hours, only to wake up again a few hours later. She could have felt frustrated, but after nearly a week of restless nights, surviving on a little sleep had basically become an expected part of her routine. 

Quietly, Artemis pulled on a light jacket and her boots and slipped out of Cabin Eight. Once outside in the damp June air, she took a right towards the beach, where she could sit on the soft sand, listen to the waves crash on the shore, and feel the wind gently lift her hair. 

It took about ten minutes to walk from the ring of cabins to the small beach that looked out onto the Happy Harbor, and to get there, Artemis had to pass through a patch of woods, the construction of two new cabins for minor gods, and the clearing where she had spent a few nights since the Hunt arrived at camp. 

The picnic table that she had slept on was occupied by a figure hunched over with their head in the hands when she reached the clearing. It was the darkest hour of night, made darker by the moon’s absence from the sky, but the stars and light pollution from the nearby city was enough to illuminate messy red hair, pale skin, and a lean frame. 

Artemis approached the figure slowly. “Wally?” she whispered. 

Wally startled but didn’t turn around. “Artemis. Hi,” he croaked. “I was wondering if you were gonna show up.”

Had he been waiting for her?

“I was going to the Bay,” she said. “Wanna come?”

After a beat, Wally sighed and nodded, wiping a hand quickly over his face. “Lead the way.”

Side by side, they walked in silence down a hill and another patch of woods until the compact brown soil turned sandy and loose. Artemis sat down on a space clear of seaweed and shells, crossing her legs, and Wally lowered himself down next to her. The Bay’s waves washed the sand close enough that she could reach out her hand and touch the cold water, if she wanted to. 

He stared down, rubbing grains of sand between his index finger and thumb.

Artemis inspected his face carefully. When it became clear he wasn’t going to start the conversation, she gently said, “Hey. Are you okay?”

He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I’m good.”

“Are you? Because considering everything we’ve gone through, if you were really ‘ _ good’ _ I’d be concerned.” She tried again, “What was it? A nightmare?”

Rolling his shoulders back, Wally briefly closed his eyes. “Yeah. A memory,” he admitted. 

Artemis sighed. “Those are the worst. Worse than weird prophetic dreams, you know? It’s not fair that I already had to live through it once—”

“Why again?” Wally finished. He laughed once humorlessly then let out a shaky breath. “You remember last summer, when me, Hermes, and Bart had to destabilize the chrysalis of that monster?”

Bart was Wally’s little brother, a newly claimed son of Hermes who had just discovered the gift of speed given to him by his father. The gift, which Wally had also received, made Hermes, Bart, and Wally the three fastest beings on Earth- in that order. They used that speed to create a vortex that confounded the Titan’s key weapon, a grotesque monster called the Krolotean that would have destroyed the world, had it hatched from its chrysalis. The strategy worked, but something went wrong. Bart—

Her heart ached for Wally. “Yeah.”

Wally swallowed. “I went there. In the dream. Every- everything felt exactly the same. The worst moment of my life—” His voice broke and he covered his face with his hands. 

“You don’t have to tell me if it’s too hard,” Artemis said but he shook his head. 

“No, I should, shouldn’t I?” He said, angered and frustrated. He pushed his hands from his face back into his hair, pulling at the ends tightly. “I mean, gods, it’s been a year!”

“You don’t have to,” Artemis repeated evenly. “I was there, remember?”

The Hunt had been called to fight the Titans’ ground army of minor monsters and godlings during the battle of Happy Harbor, the last battle of the Titan War. 

“It was my fault that Bart died,” Wally said. “I wasn’t fast enough to keep up with the vortex. It was like I was fading away or something… I don’t know. I can’t really describe it.” He shut his eyes tightly. His back hunched over. “But Bart could tell so he pushed me away and took my burden. He was fast enough, but his body couldn’t take it. So he died. Because I wasn’t good enough.”

In the distance, a cargo ship’s horn blew, the sound piercing through the whistle of the wind. 

“I’m really sorry,” Artemis said. She didn’t know what else she could possibly say. 

He let out a rough breath. “At first I was relieved that I hadn’t died because I didn’t want Dick to lose anyone else after Jason. But then Bart didn’t come back. And it should have been me.” Wally sniffed and wiped his eyes, pausing for a moment. “Fuck!” he yelled, huffing and throwing his hands roughly into the sand. His voice echoed across the water. 

Artemis waited a beat then asked, “Feel better?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Wally looked into the distance into the skyline of Happy Harbor at the other side of the water. From where they sat, they could almost see the outline of the Hall of Justice, around which the battle took place. 

“It should have been me,” Wally repeated, sounding small. 

Artemis sighed. “You know, he’d probably be thinking the same thing if it had been.”

Wally’s shoulders hunched. “Doesn’t change how I feel.”

Artemis placed a gentle hand over Wally’s. He opened his palm and she laced their fingers together. For just that moment, she pretended that she wasn’t a Hunter and he wasn’t the son of Hermes. She could just be one friend offering comfort to another. 

“I know,” she said. “I’m really sorry.”

They stayed like that for a while until Wally’s breathing slowed and steadied. Artemis only regretted that she couldn’t stay with him until morning. 

~~

When Artemis was fifteen years old, she and her sister Jade left home to live permanently at Camp Half-Blood after a particularly bad monster attack injured their mother and angered their stepfather. It hurt to say goodbye to Paula Crock, but she felt comfort in knowing that she would at least have Jade. 

They had no way of knowing that Paula would die mere days after from a mysterious accident that had Lawrence Crock’s name all over it. 

That summer, the day after they’d received the news, their father Apollo finally claimed Jade. Two weeks later, he showed up at camp with a quest for her and Jade accepted, agreeing to take her boyfriend Roy, a son of Hermes, and a satyr, Eric. 

The night before Jade left on her quest, Artemis found her in their cabin, packing her things while the rest of camp sang and ate s’mores at the campfire. She dug through the chest at the end of her bunk ferociously, swearing under her breath.

“Jade?” Artemis said softly as she approached her sister. 

When Jade saw her, she stood up straight and plastered on a smile. “Hey, sis. Why aren’t you at the campfire?”

“Why aren’t you?” Artemis countered. 

Jade gestured to her open backpack. “Too much to do. Too much to think about.” She put her hands to her hips. “Exciting, right?”

No, it wasn’t. Demigods never came back from quests far more frequently than they returned. If they survived, the emerged from the quest a completely different person than before. 

“I’m going to miss you,” Artemis said, her heart ripping in half. “Can’t you just not go? Mom—”

“Mom would be proud,” Jade said harshly. She resumed throwing things inside her backpack. “She always wanted more for us. Well, here I am. Doing more.”

“Mom wanted us to stay together. You—” Artemis swallowed. Her eyes stung, and tears threatened to spell over. “You’re all that I have.”

Jade put the canteen in her hands down on her bed at the waver in her sister’s voice. Her expression softened, betraying her for a split second, and Artemis could see how scared she really was. Jade pulled her into a tight hug. Artemis clung to Jade and pushed her face into her shoulder, letting the tears fall. 

“Hey, don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll be back in a week, two weeks tops,” Jade promised, stroking Artemis’ hair. “Try to have fun when I’m gone. Talk to that Ares boy you have a crush on.”

Artemis sniffed and drew back, lightly punching Jade on the shoulder. “I don’t have a crush on him.”

Jade laughed. “Sure, sis.”

She left the next morning. Artemis received only one Iris message from her sister. It woke her up late at night, and Jade’d seemed nervous, antsy. 

“Are you okay?” Artemis whispered, careful not to wake her siblings. 

Jade nodded, but she couldn’t hold eye contact with Artemis and she kept looking around, flinching at the slightest noise. “For now.”

“Is someone trying to kill you?”

Jade snorted, her arms crossed. “Isn’t that kinda the point of being a demigod? Someone’s always trying to kill you. Especially on a quest.”

“Maybe, but…” Artemis dug her fingers into her ribcage and looked at the dirty wood floor slightly illuminated by the Iris message. She swallowed. “You’re not allowed to die, okay?”

“I’m not going to die, sis, at least not on this stupid quest. I swear on the River Sytx.”

Thunder boomed and Artemis nearly jumped out of her pants. She gaped. “Jade, you can’t just—”

Jade rolled her eyes like it was nothing, like people who broke an oath as serious as that didn’t suffer a fate worse than death. “I just did, didn’t I? It’s always been you and me, Artemis. Always gonna be.”

There was a soft, unintelligible voice on Jade’s end, out of view of the message. Jade nodded in response. 

“Look, sis, I gotta go. It’s my turn to watch. If everything goes good with this quest, I’ll be back in camp by the end of the week. See you then, okay?”

Artemis barely had time to say goodbye before the light flickered out and all she had left was the dark, quiet cabin around her that was full of people yet so, so empty. 

Jade never returned to camp. The body of her quest mate Eric was found near Mount Tamalpais, mere feet away from where the Garden of the Hesperides revealed itself at sunset. Jade and Roy were assumed to have been struck down by the dragon Ladon.

It killed Artemis as much as it hardened her. For a lonely year, her pain festered as she stayed at camp and trained instead of going back to the city for school. Her brothers and sisters in the Apollo cabin provided as much comfort as they could, many having gone through the same thing, but loneliness weighed her down deeper each day. 

Then the Hunt came to camp and offered eternal sisterhood and an escape from the place she had last seen her sister. It offered protection and contact with a goddess who wouldn’t use or manipulate her. 

She quickly joined, and never thought twice about it. 

Until now. Because now, the future she imagined was uncertain. For the first time in nineteen years, the future didn’t necessarily include the Hunt.

~~

The next day, Artemis didn’t see Wally much, at least not enough to talk to him. They exchanged a knowing glance and small smile during breakfast, but the group of Head Counsellors, including him, were holed up in the Big House all day, even through dinner and the camp fire. Meanwhile, the Hunt had their own agenda to accomplish in anticipation of Lady Artemis’ return and their impending departure in three days’ time. 

She kept waiting for something to happen, for Diana or another Hunter to confront her about the night she and Wally spent on the beach, but nothing did. 

In a pleasant turn of events, Artemis slept through the night. When her eyes snapped open, she was pleased to see the first few rays of morning sun coming through the skylight above her bunk. An urge to go outside made her sit up and pull on her bra, leggings, and hiking boots, and step outside. She was hardly the first person up that morning, but the camp was still very quiet, aside from the tittering of birds- both mythical and mortal- and the distant crash of waves on the shore of Happy Harbor. 

As usual, camp was beautiful and bright, golden without a cloud in the sky. But something drew Artemis away from it all and into the woods. It didn’t take long for her to reach a patch of thick vegetation where the canopy blocked most of the light from reaching the forest floor, mimicking night. On the bare ground sat a young girl, around thirteen or so. Her dark hair was neatly braided, and her eyes were closed as she softly stroked the head of the deer that had it’s head in her lap. She wore a silver tunic that reflected light, even in the darkness of the woods around her. 

The girl’s eyes popped open. They were shockingly silver, like that of the moon. 

Artemis dropped to her knees and bowed her head in respect. “My lady.”

Lady Artemis nodded deeply, acknowledging Artemis. “At ease, Artemis. I am just here to talk. Come, sit.”

She silently obeyed, hoping that her mistress’ early return was not for the reason she thought, and cursing Diana for undoubtedly letting on to their Lady. 

“You think you know why I’m here,” the goddess stated firmly. The deer in her lap exhaled. 

Artemis made a fist with each hand, her short fingernails digging into her palms. “Don’t I? Diana already—”

Lady Artemis held up a hand to silence the Hunter. “Don’t blame Diana. She has kept your secrets. But I am a goddess, my sister. We see and know beyond what you can.”

Of course she did. It was near impossible to hide anything from the gods. 

Artemis silently prayed that she wouldn’t be turned into a jackalope or a bear.

“So you’ve come here to ask me to leave the Hunt,” she said, her heart heavy. 

“No,” the goddess said.

_ Di immortales, _ Artemis inwardly swore, contemplating which animal she would inevitably be turned into. 

Lady Artemis continued, “You have not taken action on your straying feelings as of yet, so the choice to leave or stay remains in your hands. But as I said earlier, I see and know more than others. That includes you, Artemis.” She gave the Hunter a sly smile. “And Diana.”

“I don’t understand, my lady,” Artemis said, her voice quiet and cautious. 

Lady Artemis sighed. “You have been faithful to me for near twenty years, Artemis, and I could not have asked for a better Hunter. I had hoped you would stay with me for longer, but you have made the same mistake as so many of your former sisters: you have forgotten who you were before you joined the Hunt.”

“Oh.”

“Who are you, Artemis?”

Artemis furrowed her brow and thought about the question. Not totally sure what her lady was looking for, she answered, “A daughter of Apollo. A Hunter. An archer, I guess.”

The maiden goddess did not look satisfied with this. “That may be true, but titles say nothing about you.” She grabbed one of Artemis’ hands and held it earnestly. “What do you value most, Artemis?”

Artemis looked at the ground. “Family,” she answered finally. “It’s why I joined the Hunt.”

When her goddess smiled, Artemis knew she had said the right thing. 

But there was sadness in Lady Artemis’ eyes. “So often, the maiden who joins the Hunt because a man has wronged her is eventually the maiden who men lead astray. Family is the reason you came to us, but it is also the reason you will leave, whether that time is now or many years in the future. But I am not telling you anything you don’t already feel inside, deep down.” 

Comprehension dawned on Artemis as she finally understood. “You’re telling me that it’s not just my feelings for Wally that are making me want to leave.”

She could only guess what that meant—that she’d leave for family. Family with Wally, maybe? Perhaps her lady sensed how much she missed camp. But somehow she didn’t that was it.

“You have more of my brother in you than you know. Like your gift of archery, you can also sense things to come. Things that you will know but don’t yet.”

“Any chance you can elaborate on that?”

Lady Artemis chuckled but shook her head. “I’ve already said too much.”

“Right.” 

“I must leave you now. Know this, Artemis: I will respect what you choose because you have served me well. But make sure you make the right decision, because this is a choice you can’t take back, either way.”

Artemis nodded and bowed again. When she lifted her head, the goddess and her deer were gone, and she was alone in the dark woods once again. Their conversation had relieved some of the burden, but she knew she had some serious thinking to do.

~~

When she eventually rejoined her sisters a few minutes later, she spoke nothing of the encounter she had with their mistress, instead acting like nothing had happened at all. 

The Hunt would leave tomorrow, so Diana instructed the Hunters to enjoy their last full day at camp however they pleased. Departing from her usual routine of moving from station to station with Raquel in tow, Artemis chose to spend the day alone so that she could think. She only had until morning, after all; the stress of her choice was making her too irritable to handle company. 

By mid-morning, she’d managed to avoid most people willing to start a conversation with her by adopting a sinister scowl as she moved about camp. Once she reached the climbing wall, however, she knew her luck was turning when she recognized the Hermes cabin—specifically, Wally. They still had yet to speak since the night on the beach, but Artemis didn’t want to talk to him until she knew for sure what her decision would be. 

And she didn’t. Not yet, anyway. 

Wally sat at the top of the climbing wall, right above where the lava and boulders came from. He chewed noisily on an apple and grinned when he saw Artemis, waving wildly. 

She turned right back around and into the trees that lined the amphitheater, trying to act like she didn’t hear him. But Wally didn’t give up that easy, curse him and his speed, so it was only a matter of seconds before he was at her side. 

“Hey babe,” Wally said, matching her quick pace with ease. “Can we talk?”

He placed a light hand on her shoulder, but she shoved it off. “Not right now,” she said, her words harsher and sharper than she meant them. 

Hurt flickered over his face. “Come on. Don’t be like that, Artemis. Shouldn’t we talk after what happened the other night?”

“Yes,” she said. “But  _ not right now _ .”

“Then  _ when _ ?” he asked incredulously, the frustration showing in his voice. “You leave tomorrow!”

“I know that!” she cried, pulling at the roots of her hair. “I just— _ can’t _ right now, Wally. Gods, what’s the matter with you?”

Wally stopped suddenly and crossed his arms. Against her better judgement, she stopped too. 

After a quiet moment, he said, “You can’t just share a moment like that with someone and expect to never talk about it again. I mean—” he ran a hand over his face. “I get that since I’m a guy we’re not supposed to talk, or fraternize, or  _ whatever _ , but I at least thought after that we were friends.”

Suddenly Artemis felt horrible about every mean thing she had said to Wally. She softened. “Look. I really, really can’t talk about it right now. I wouldn’t even know what to say,” she admitted. “I have some thinking to do first, but we will talk about what happened. About us.”

Wally looked up at her. “Do you swear?”

Artemis nodded. “On the River Styx.”

Thunder boomed in the sky. Wally startled and paled. “Not what I meant.”

Snorting, Artemis said, “Yeah, I know. But I’m serious.” She considered for a moment, then said, “Meet me in the clearing an hour before dinner, okay?”

“Okay,” Wally agreed. “Will you know what to say, then?”

“I hope so.”

As they parted ways, Artemis wondered if what the goddess said had truth to it after all. 

At lunch, she ran into Cassie, who promptly shoved a few pieces of paper into her hands. 

“What is this?” Artemis asked her. 

“It’s a brochure about the Hunt. Diana asked me to give it to you, for that legacy girl.”

Artemis nodded. “I’ll give it to Lian during free time.”

She hoped to catch the younger girl in her cabin when the time came. During free time, most campers hit the showers or took naps. But thankfully, when Artemis entered the Apollo cabin, Lian was lounging in her bunk, dressed and awake, furiously writing in a notebook. 

“Hey,” Artemis said softly. 

Lian perked up and lowered her notebook. “Artemis! Hi!” She sat up straight and folded her legs together. Patting the bed beside her, she said, “You can sit down.”

Artemis pulled her boots off and sat down next to Lian, mimicking her folded legs. “What are you writing?”

She shrugged. “Just a letter to my mom and dad.”

“Can’t you just Iris Message them?” Artemis asked. 

“Oh, I do,” Lian explained. “But I always feel like I forget something every time. And they’re always busy, especially since Mom’s pregnant, so they can never talk for long enough, you know?”

Artemis laughed. “Another legacy, huh? Camp can barely handle one of you.”

Lian rolled her eyes dramatically. “I know right? My parents are crazy, having another baby. But they’re still grossly in love with each other, even though they fight all the time. It’ll be nice, though, to have someone else around when I’m home.”

“It’s lonely, growing up like that,” Artemis said. She knew from experience. “Without my sister, I would’ve gone crazy.”

Lian frowned. “And then you lost her.”

Nodding solemnly, Artemis said, “I did. But then I joined the Hunt, and I didn’t have to be lonely anymore. Here.” She shoved the brochure into Lian’s hands.

Lian’s eyes widened. “Is this—”

“The Hunt welcomes any young maiden into its sisterhood. Unless you have a boyfriend—”

“Uh, negative on that one.”

“—then the Hunt would be happy to have you,” Artemis finished. 

Lian shook her head in disbelief. “I… Artemis, wow.”

“You don’t have to decide now,” she was quick to say. “The Hunt may be leaving tomorrow, but we aren’t going anywhere. The Hunt will always be there, if you choose to join it.”

“I am unbelievably honored that you would even think of asking me to join the Hunt,” Lian said, but then she let out a heavy breath and pushed the brochure back to Artemis. “But I could never leave my mom, dad, or the baby.”

Though Artemis did feel a pang of disappointment, she still offered Lian a small smile. “I understand that. I probably wouldn’t have joined either if I had living family left.”

Not for the first time in their conversation, Artemis wondered if she was really the best choice for recruiter, considering her current position. 

Lian’s brow knotted. “Promise you won’t hold it against me?”

Artemis laughed. “Yeah, I promise.”

“Okay, good.” Lian relaxed. “Because you’re the best Aunt I ever had, and it would really suck to lose that.”

Artemis made a face and playfully punched her shoulder. “Watch it. Respect your elders.”

Lian giggled. “I thought you weren’t  _ old enough to be anyone’s aunt _ ,” she teased. 

“I changed my mind,” Artemis shot back.

Lian gasped and looked stricken. “Gods, I just realized that if you’re my aunt, Wally’s my  _ uncle _ !”

Artemis wasn’t willing to unpack the implications there. “But you chose to bunk in the Apollo cabin, not the Hermes cabin. So I count more, right?”

“Definitely.” Lian laughed. 

“Why’d you choose here, anyway? Because the Hermes cabin is too crowded?”

Lian shrugged. “I mean, not really. Not gonna lie, that was for sure a factor, but… I don’t know. I guess I wanted to feel closer to my mom and her sister, who died a long time ago when my mom was a kid.”

This piqued Artemis’ interest. “Your mom and her sister shared both parents?”

For a mortal to catch the eye of a god so that they sired a child not once, but twice, was rare. Artemis only knew of a few sets of siblings like that, herself included. Of course, it was more common in the Apollo cabin than elsewhere. 

Lian nodded. 

“You have quite the family,” Artemis said. 

“I guess. Hey, can I get a photo with you? So I can remember you when you’re gone?” Lian asked. 

“Sure,” Artemis said, glancing at her watch. “ _ Di immortales, _ I’m almost late.”

“This won’t take long,” Lian said. From her nightstand, she pulled an old camera, a Polaroid archaic enough that it would work within camp borders without endangering lives. Throwing an arm around Artemis, she said, “Smile!” 

The photo popped out a second later. Lian grabbed it and started to shake. “Wanna see how it came out before you go?”

Artemis checked her watch. She still had a minute. “Okay.” 

The photo turned out okay, if a little over exposed. Lian didn’t seem bothered. “I’m still learning how to use the exposure settings. Here, look at this one of my mom.”

She pulled a photo from a brown paper bag and immediately Artemis’ heart stopped. 

Because even though Lian’s mother looked older and more like their mother than Artemis had even seen her, the woman in the photo was unmistakably Jade Nguyen Crock. 

“I have to go,” Artemis told Lian breathlessly. 

Lian pouted. “Will I see you at the campfire tonight?”

“Yeah. Bye.” And she sprinted out of the Apollo cabin before she choked to death. 

Her mind raced as she somehow managed to find her way to the clearing. When she arrived, Wally was already there, sitting atop their picnic table not unlike how he’d been two nights previously.

“Hey, babe,” he called out upon seeing her. “Ready to—are you okay?”

The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them. “I’m leaving the Hunt.”

“Woah, what? Are you saying that just because we fell asleep together on a beach—”

Artemis paced back and forth in front of the table. “Yes. No.” She paused. “My sister’s alive.”

“I thought you said—” Wally waved the words away. “Hold on a moment. Come on, take a breath.”

She collapsed on the table next to him and he placed a reassuring hand on her back. 

Once her breathing steadied, he said, “So what’s this about you leaving the Hunt? What happened?”

Artemis sighed. “I just talked to Lian and I found out that her mother is my  _ sister _ . Who I thought died on a quest  _ twenty years ago _ .”

Wally whistled. “Woah. That’s heavy. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I saw a picture.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. I just found out literally two minutes ago.”

“Shit.”

“No kidding.”

Wally’s thumb traced small circles on her back and she shivered. 

“And because of that, you made the decision in two minutes that you’re going to leave the Hunt?”

Artemis furrowed her brow. “I mean… I’ve been thinking about it since the war ended. But more seriously since I got to camp.”

Wally raised an eyebrow. “And because of  _ me _ , sugar.”

Her face grew red and she elbowed him lightly in the side. “Well, yeah. But don’t be a jerk about it.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I told you my charms would be enough to make you leave. But anyway, about your sister. What do you  _ think _ happened?”

Artemis sighed. “I don’t know. I haven’t had time to think about it yet. But… I assumed she died when she never came back from that quest, and they found her satyr’s body. I guess she didn’t.”

“It’s not easy for a grown demigod to survive on their own for that long for that long,” Wally pointed out. 

But Artemis remembered Lian mentioning that her father was a son of Hermes. “But she wasn’t. We burned the shrouds of Jade  _ and  _ her boyfriend Roy. They both went on the quest and never returned, and they never found his body, either.” She looked at Wally. “Roy was a Hermes kid.”

Both Roy and Jade had somewhat of a vendetta against the gods, preferring to act for themselves rather than for the will of some higher power. Artemis didn’t know how she hadn’t seen it earlier. 

But in a way, she had known, hadn’t she? As Lady Artemis told her, she had somehow sensed that in a way she didn’t completely understand. 

Wally said, “Can’t really blame them for wanting to leave this life.”

“Especially after last summer,” Artemis said. “But why wouldn’t she tell me she was alive?”

“I don’t know. When did you become a Hunter?”

“A year later,” Artemis told him.

Wally shrugged. “Maybe she came back to camp to tell you and drew her own conclusions when you weren’t there. Maybe she thought you were better off without her. But you have to hear her out, right?”

Artemis sighed deeply. “Of course I do. I didn’t always agree with Jade’s decisions, but she always had her reasons.” She rubbed a hand over her face. “Gods, this is crazy. Jade’s alive, and I’m leaving the Hunt.”

“Yeah, can we talk about that? So you were thinking about it, but finding out your sis was alive like, what, flipped the switch?”

Artemis thought for a moment. “When you’re in the Hunt, you know your future, right? You don’t know exactly where you’ll be, but you know with who, and what you’ll be doing. But it’s like, recently, I’ve been thinking about this future outside the Hunt. At camp.”

“With me,” Wally said softly, sliding his hand into hers. 

“Yeah, maybe,” Artemis said. “And now, with Lian. My actual niece, who’s almost older than me.”

Her voice broke on the last words and her eyes stung. 

“Maybe I joined the Hunt to run away,” Artemis continued. “You know? I was so lonely without Jade, and I just needed to get away from here. It reminded me too much of her.” Tears escaped and ran down her cheeks. “But  _ gods _ , I just want to be normal. I don’t want to watch everyone I’ve ever met die.”

Wally squeezed her hand gently. “I get that.”

Artemis sniffed. “Yeah? I feel like I’m talking nonsense.”

“No, it makes sense. After the war, the gods called us to Olympus- me, Dick, and Kaldur- and they told us they’d grant us one request, any request. Including immortality.” Wally looked away and smiled. “We all refused and asked for other things. Because life as a mortal really sucks sometimes, doesn’t it? Disease, old age, getting horribly killed by whatever monsters are nearby, all that stuff. But I’d rather have those things with the life and family I have than live forever without the people I care about, you know?”

It was exactly what she needed to hear. She wiped at her eyes and moved a hand to caress his cheek. “That was probably the smartest thing I’ve ever heard you say, Baywatch.”

Wally snorted. “Only for you, ba—”

She silenced his mouth with hers, planting a firm kiss on his lips before he could finish. After a second, she pulled back, searching his face for a reaction, only to be dragged right back in for another. His hand snuck around her back, pulling her closer to him. They separated a minute later, faces still close, both wearing bashful smiles. 

“We should’ve done that a long time ago,” Wally said, his eyes bright. 

Artemis smirked. “No kidding.” 

“So… what happens now?”

Artemis exhaled and put on a brave smile. “I have to tell the Hunt I won’t be going with them tomorrow. After that…” she shrugged. “Who knows?”

~

She told her sisters at dinner. They took it well, for the most part, though many showed their apprehension and disapproval at the prospect of Artemis leaving it all behind for a man. Diana seemed sad, and Artemis had a fleeting memory of meeting her lieutenant nineteen years ago on a night much like this one. At the time, Diana and the Hunt represented a hopeful future full of endless years and sisterhood. 

Now, they represented the past, and she could do nothing more but look forward. It was still, undeniably, a sad occasion and a few tears were shed. Primarily by Raquel. 

After she informed Bruce that she would be remaining at camp when the Hunt left, she pulled Lian to the side at the campfire. 

“I overheard what you were saying,” Lian said eagerly before Artemis could even open her mouth to speak. “Is it really true you’re leaving the Hunt?”

Artemis nodded. “I know it seems weird, especially after our conversation this afternoon.”

“No kidding,” Lian responded. “Not three hours ago you were asking me to join. What happened?” She narrowed her eyes conspiratorially. “Is this about Wally?”

“A little,” Artemis admitted. “But it’s more about… Remember earlier, when I said I wouldn’t have joined the Hunt if I had living family?”

“Yeah,” Lian said. Comprehension dawned on her face. “Are you saying—”

“I’m leaving because I don’t want to be younger than my niece,” Artemis said. “My sister is alive.”

Lian’s jaw dropped. “Really? That’s crazy!”

“There’s more,” Artemis said. “I should have told you right away, but— the photo of your mom. I  _ recognized _ her. It’s been years, but…”

“It’s my mom. She’s your sister,” Lian finished breathlessly. 

Artemis nodded. 

Lian tackled her in a hug. “Oh my gods! So you’re my real aunt, then? Wait, if you thought your sister died but my mom’s alive then what happened? And if you didn’t die then why did my mom think you did?”

“I don’t know,” Artemis said. She squeezed Lian back. “But we can talk about that later. Right now, let’s just be happy.”

“I think I can do that.”

~~

The next morning, Lian invited Artemis to sit in on her daily Iris Message with her parents. They were at the pool, using a fountain’s mist as a rainbow. 

Lian threw a golden drachma into the fountain. “Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Jade Nguyen-Harper in Gotham City.”

As the mist shimmered, Artemis thought about the times as a Hunter she visited Gotham. Had she really been so close?

After a second, the mist cleared and in place of the fountain was Jade, looking freshly showered and alert. 

“Hey, kiddo,” she said and Artemis lost her breath because she sounded exactly the same. “Have a good week?”

Her eyes trained on Artemis, Lian replied, “It was interesting, for sure. Did I tell you? The Hunt was at camp for a little bit, but they’re leaving today.”

The more accurate thing to say was they were leaving right  _ then _ . From their vantage point outside, Artemis could see her former sisters packing their last bags and preparing to walk out. 

“The Hunt, huh?  _ That _ must have been fun. Glad I never ran into them.”

How different things would have been if she had. 

Lian smiled at Artemis and said to her mother, “Well, they’re not all bad. Mom, there’s someone I want you to meet.” And without orchestration, Lian pulled Artemis beside her and into the view of the Iris Message. 

“Hi, Jade,” Artemis said lamely. 

After a moment, Jade’s eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Artemis?” She shook her head. “No, it can’t be you. You died.”

“ _ You _ died,” Artemis shot back. “I joined the Hunt.”

Jade laughed. “Shit, sis. With a temper like that you couldn’t be anyone  _ but  _ my sister.”

“In the flesh,” Artemis said, not stopping the smile that grew on her face. 

“Will you come to camp, Mom?” Lian asked, fiddling anxiously with her fingers. “So that you guys can talk about everything?”

“Of course, kiddo,” Jade said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

And just like that, Artemis knew everything between them would be okay and she felt incredibly, incredibly lucky. There was something to living a full life with people she loved, even if that life eventually ends. It was human, something the gods and immortals would never understand. 

She spotted her sisters, walking towards camp borders in a single file line, holding bags and weapons and the other many things they carried. And beyond them in the distance, there was Wally. 

“Take your time,” Artemis said. 

**Author's Note:**

> if you wanna talk to be about the fic or scream about young justice to me, hmu @antspaul on tumblr. if you liked it (or even if u hated it) leave a comment!!! it really does encourage me, and also lets me know what's working and what isn't working. your input, however short, is invaluable!!!
> 
> also, i'd be interesting in maybe writing a short (yeah, right) companion piece to this, exploring some of the things i only touched on a little, with the war and some other characters. so let me know if you'd like to see that!


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